Stroboscopic fluid displays are known in the prior art, and are interesting, magical, and puzzling to view. However, all such prior art display devices have various viewing and operational problems which fail to produce the ideal illusion. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,426,021, 5,165,580, and D335,916 to Rosenthal disclose display devices that produce fluid droplets or solid stream with undulations rising, falling or levitating, and are incorporated herein by reference. These prior art display devices have many disadvantages:
These prior art display devices use Xenon bulb stroboscope directed at the fluid droplets or solid stream with undulations from above, which creates an uneven illumination on the fluid. Even with the use of additional diffusion optical elements along with the Xenon bulb, the effect is still not ideal due to the point source nature of the light source.
These prior art display devices also utilize expensive, large, noisy and heavy oscillating and/or vibrating pump system such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,136,257, 4,824,337, and 5,567,131.
These prior art display devices provide enclosures that only partly block bright ambient non-stroboscopic light, which lead to the viewing degradation of the illusion.
These prior art display devices operate with a fluid reservoir, a spigot, a basin and pipe systems which lead to increased splashing, fluid losses, unwanted vibrations, and inadequate monitoring of the fluid level which causes unit failure and poor fluid illusions.
These prior art display devices often require the presence of a system operator to ensure continued variation and novelty in the fluid illusion effects. Such devices are or were installed or displayed at the Hong Kong Museum of Science, Hotel Romeo in Naples, Italy, and Tokyo Disneyland Magic Shop, Quarks Bar at the Star Trek Adventure at the Las Vegas Hilton, and The Magic Castle Club in Hollywood.
Other prior art stroboscopic fluid display devices for vertical streams of droplets include one installed at the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, which was based on U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,782, Salvin's “Anti-Gravity Waterfall,” which employs the vibrating pump of U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,402, water pearl devices covered by U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,022, and Harold Edgerton's florescent green dye based units previously displayed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and local museums in the area, which was referenced in Harold Edgerton's book, Electronic Flash, Strobe. Such prior art devices, in addition to the problems previously identified, have other disadvantages. They produce small, unstable fluid droplets. The spectral stroboscopic lightings are poor and often use the incorrect white strobe light, uneven illumination or incorrect flicker fusion frequency. As a result, the droplet streams are difficult and unpleasant to view with on and off flashes on occasion. The devices produce an unnatural and not ideal illusion, and fail to capture the true beauty of the natural fluid, liquid, or water color. The display of several uncoordinated vertical streams of droplets moving all in only one direction at the same time also causes viewing confusion, improper backgrounds which hide or degrade the viewing of the illusion. These display devices are often large scale and not portable nor appropriate for display in a home environment.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved optical illusion fluid display device that produces fluid droplets and pattern of fluids that independently rise, fall, dance, change shape, levitate, appear and disappear, integrate with other illusion displays, jump, or move in three-dimensional maneuvers. Further, there is a need for an improved optical illusion fluid device that provides the fluid illusion in ambient light conditions that appear to be naturally-appearing with a pleasing white light and appropriate appearance. Still further, there is a need for a portable, quiet, light-weight, inexpensive, optical illusion fluid device that does not require an operator.